Putting aid

ABSTRACT

A putting aid includes a base bar and an upright bar pivotally connected to the center of the base bar to be foldable into alignment with the base bar for storage in a golf bag and to be held in a position perpendicular to the base bar for use. Clips support the upright bar on the shaft of a putter, and a bubble level is on the base bar for leveling the base bar accurately horizontally. A pair of sighting bars are pivotally mounted at opposite ends of the base bar and extend to the upright bar where a scale extends upward from the base bar so that elevated inclination of the sighting bars can be read on the scale. A table on the upright bar above the scale is then used for computing lateral distance from a hole for aiming a putt, with the lateral distance being a function of the putt distance and the green inclination as measured by one of the sighting bars and the scale.

Primary E.\'aminerGeorge J. Marlo Attorney, Agent, or FirmStonebraker, Shepard & Stephens IlllllLlllll Umte States atent 1 1 1111 3,908,991

Schwartz Sept. 30, 1975 PUTTING AID [76] Inventor: Erving H. Schwartz, 575 Averill [57] ABSTRACT Rochester 14607 A putting aid includes a base bar and an upright bar [22] Filed: Nov. 22, 1974 pivotally connected to the center of the base bar to be foldable into alignment with the base bar for storage [21] Appl' 526112 in a golf bag and to be held in a position perpendicular to the base bar for use. Clips support the upright bar [52] US. Cl 273/32 R; 33/389; 33/275; on the shaft of a putter, and a bubble level is on the 33/285; 33/289; 273/162 F base bar for leveling the base bar accurately horizon- [51] Int. Cl. 1. A63B 57/00 tally. A pair of sighting bars are pivotally mounted at [58] Field of Search 273/187 R, 32, 35, 183, opposite en Of the base bar and extend to the up- 273/162; 33/285, 289, 275, 389 7 right bar where a scale extends upward from the base bar so that elevated inclination of the sighting bars can [56] References Cited be read on the scale. A table on the upright bar above UNITED STATES PATENTS the scale is then used for computing lateral distance 3,679,206 7/1972 Shambaugh 273/187 R m a hole f ammg puttzwlth the lateral F 3 751 819 8/1973 Dixon 273 32 B bemg a functon of the dlstance and the green clination as measured by one of the sighting bars and the scale.

7 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures us. Patent Se t. 30,1975 3,908,991

21 FIG- 6 FIG. I

FIG- 4 I6 20 if fl H I8 FIG- 3 PUTTING AID THE INVENTIVE IMPROVEMENT:

One of most substantial problems in putting is determining the amount of uphill distance for aiming a putt above the hole when the green has an incline across the direction of the putt. Various devices have been suggested for aiding in this, but they are either cumbersome, complex, or insufficiently helpful. The invention aims at a putting aid that is simple, compact, economical, foldable, durable, quick and easy to operate, and accurate and reliable in determining the slope of a green and in aiding the player to compensate properly for the green slope.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION:

The invention putting aid includes a base bar and an upright bar pivotally connected to a central region of the base bar to be foldable into parallel relation with the base bar. The upright bar is held in a position perpendicular with the base bar during use of the device, and clips on the upright bar allow the upright bar to be attached to the shaft of a putter. A bubble level is on the base bar for leveling the base bar accurately horizontally, and a pair of sighting bars are pivotally mounted on respective opposite ends of the base bar. Each of the sighting bars extends from the end of the base bar to the region of the upright bar where a scale extends upward from the base bar on the upright bar so that elevated inclination of the sighting bars are readable on the scale. A table is arranged on the upright bar above the scale for computing lateral distance from a hole for aiming a putt, with the lateral distance being a function of the putt distance and the green inclination as measured by one of the sighting bars and the scale.

DRAWINGS:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the inventive device in folded condition;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the inventive device opened up for use; FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the device of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary elevational view of the left end of the base bar of the device of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary, rear elevational view of the base bar and upright bar of the inventive device; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged, cross-sectional view of the device of FIG. 3 taken along the line 66 thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION:

The inventive putting aid 10 is formed of several bars pivotally joined together so that it can be folded up to the enlongated position of FIG. 1 and carried conveniently in a golf bag, and can be opened up to the use position of FIGS. 2 and 3. It includes a base bar 11 and an upright bar 12 connected together with a pivot pin 13 as best shown in FIG. 5. An indentation 14 in upright bar 12 forms a projection extending toward a corresponding indentation 15 in base bar 11, and indentations 14 and 15 are arranged for detenting or latching bars 11 and 12 in the respectively perpendicular position shown in FIG. 2. A pair of spring clips 16 as best shown in FIGS. 3 and 6 are secured to upright bar 12 by rivets or other fasteners so that spring clips 16 can be attached to the shaft 30 of a putter to support upright bar 12 parallel with and adjacent to the putter shaft 30. Then if the putter is held by the handle and allowed to hang freely downward, upright bar 12 is generally upright, and base bar 11 is generally horizontal.

A bubble level 17 is mounted on a bracket 18 secured to base bar 11 and extending forward from base bar 11 in the front elevational view of FIG. 2, and bubble level 17 is used for accurately holding base bar 11 horizontal.

A pair of sighting bars 20 and 21 are pivotally mounted on respective ends of base bar 11 by respective pivot pins 22 and 23. Sightly bar 21 is connected to the lower region of base bar 11 by pivot pin 23, and sighting bar 20 is connected to the upper region of base bar 11 by pivot pin 22 so that sighting bar 21 can be folded down into engagement with bracket 18 and sighting bar 20 can then be folded down to engage sighting bar 21 in the folded-up position of FIG. 1. Bracket 18 then supports and establishes the lowermost position for sighting bars 20 and 21.

A scale 24 extends upward from base bar 11 on upright bar 12 and preferably sets out degrees of elevational inclination of sighting bars 20 and 21. Bars 20 and 21 preferably overlap sufficiently to cross scale 24 at any expected slopeangle of a green. Then with device 10 held with base bar 11 accurately level as shown by bubble level 17, and with the player about 10 to l 5 feet behind the ball and lined up with the hole, sighting bar 20 is raised to match or conform to any downward incline of the green from right to left across the line of the putt as viewed by the player. If the green slopes downward from left to right across the line of the putt, sighting bar 20 is raised to the broken-line position to allow clearance for raising sighting bar 21 to the broken-line position to be set at the angle of the left-to-right downward slope. In setting sighting bars 20 and 21, the player preferably considers the green slope in the region of the hole as having most influence on the path of travel of the ball.

To aid in setting sighting bars 20 or 21 to the transverse slope of the green, each of the bars 20 and 21 has an indentation 25 forming a projection that detents in corresponding indentations 26 in base bar 11 as shown in FIG. 4 for sighting bar- 20. Indentations 26 preferably allow detenting of sighting bars 20 and 21 at successive 1 increments of elevation above base bar 11 as indicated on scale 24.

After the effective transverse inclination of the green is determined by setting a sighting bar 20 or 21 as described above, scale 24 is read by the player to determine the green inclination angle. Then a table 27 on the upper part of upright bar 12 above scale 24 is used to compute the lateral distance from a hole for aiming a putt. The lateral distance of putt aim is laid out mentally by the putter uphill from the hole and is a function of the putt distance and the green inclination as measured by one of the sighting bars 20 or 21. With the green inclination and the putt distance in mind, table 27 shows the player how to compute the uphill lateral distance of putt aim from the hole. An example of a table 27 suitable for display on upright bar 12 is shown below.

-Continued Putt Multiply Green Distance Angle By For an example of use of device 10, if the putter finds the green has a right-to-left inclination of 3 as set by sighting bar 20 and read on scale 24, and if the putt to be made is about 20 feet long, the putter sees from table 27 that he should multiply 12 inches by 3 to reach a value of 36 inches, or 3 feet. He then aims his putting stroke to direct the ball 3 feet to the right of the hole on the uphill side, and if he strokes the ball with the proper force, the ball should curve leftward as it approaches the hole and roll accurately into or close to the hole.

Practice with the inventive device tends to improve a players skill so that eventually the device is used only for difficult or puzzling greens. Also, after substantial use, the players begins to memorize lateral uphill distances of aim for various lengths to putts so that specific recourse to table 27 is not always necessary. Even after a player has developed considerable skill from experience with putting aid 10, he will still want to carry it with him in the convenient folded condition of FIG. 1 to be used whenever a putt appears doubtful. This he can do quickly by unfolding device to the position of FIG. 2, clipping it to his putter shaft, or manually holding it upright to level base bar 11, checking the green inclination with sighting bars or 21, and quickly calculating his putt.

Device 10 can be simply and cheaply made of metallic or plastics materials, and it can be durably fabricated to last for years and to withstand transport in a golf bag. It can be shaped, sized, and configured in many different ways, and table 27 can be varied or expanded. For example, table 27 can include additional values for wet greens or long and short greens, and experience with the invention may suggest different values for table 27.

I claim:

1. A putting aid comprising:

a. a base bar;

b. an upright bar pivotally connected to a central region of said base bar to be foldable into parallel relation with said base bar;

c. means for holding said upright bar in a position perpendicular with said base bar during use of said aid;

(1. clip means on said upright bar for attaching said upright bar to the shaft of a putter;

e. a bubble level on said base bar for leveling said base bar accurately horizontally;

f. a pair of sighting bars;

g. means for pivotally mounting each of said sighting bars on respective opposite ends of said base bar;

h. each of said sighting bars extending from said respective opposite ends of said base bar to the region of said upright bar;

a scale extending upward from said base bar on said upright bar so that elevated inclinations of said sighting bars are readable on said scale; and j. a table arranged on said upright bar above said scale for computing lateral distance from a hole for aiming a putt, said lateral distance being a function of putt distance and green inclination as measured by one of said sighting bars and said scale.

2. The putting aid of claim 1 including means for detenting said sighting bars in 1 increments of angular elevation above said base bar.

3. The putting aid of claim 1 wherein said means for holding said upright bar perpendicular to said base bar includes detent means between said upright bar and said base bar.

4. The putting aid of claim 1 including a bracket supporting said bubble level on said base bar, and wherein at least one of said sighting bars rests on said bracket in a lowermost position.

5. The putting aid of claim 4 wherein one of said sighting bars is pivotally mounted in a lower region of said base bar and the other of said sighting bars is pivotally mounted in an upper region of said base bar.

6. The putting aid of claim 5 including means for detenting said sighting bars in 1 increments of angular elevation above said base bar.

7. The putting aid of claim 6 wherein said means for holding said upright bar perpendicular to said base bar includes detent means between said upright bar and said base bar. 

1. A putting aid comprising: a. a base bar; b. an upright bar pivotally connected to a central region of said base bar to be foldable into parallel relation with said base bar; c. means for holding said upright bar in a position perpendicular with said base bar during use of said aid; d. clip means on said upright bar for attaching said upright bar to the shaft of a putter; e. a bubble level on said base bar for leveling said base bar accurately horizontally; f. a pair of sighting bars; g. means for pivotally mounting each of said sighting bars on respective opposite ends of said base bar; h. each of said sighting bars extending from said respective opposite ends of said base bar to the region of said upright bar; i. a scale extending upward from said base bar on said upright bar so that elevated inclinations of said sighting bars are readable on said scale; and j. a table arranged on said upright bar above said scale for computing lateral distance from a hole for aiming a putt, said lateral distance being a function of putt distance and green inclination as measured by one of said sighting bars and said scale.
 2. The putting aid of claim 1 including means for detenting said sighting bars in 1* increments of angular elevation above said base bar.
 3. The putting aid of claim 1 wherein said means for holding said upright bar perpendicular to said base bar includes detent means between said upright bar and said base bar.
 4. The putting aid of claim 1 including a bracket supporting said bubble level on said base bar, and wherein at least one of said sighting bars rests on said bracket in a lowermost position.
 5. The putting aid of claim 4 wherein one of said sighting bars is pivotally mounted in a lower region of said base bar and the other of said sighting bars is pivotally mounted in an upper region of said base bar.
 6. The putting aid of claim 5 including means for detenting said sighting bars in 1* increments of angular elevation above said base bar.
 7. The putting aid of claim 6 wherein said means for holding said upright bar perpendicular to said base bar inclUdes detent means between said upright bar and said base bar. 